The Phoenix and his Flame
by Telethryl
Summary: A phoenix cannot help but be drawn to a flame and no flame can resist the allure of the creature who basks in it. Marco and Ace, both warring with themselves, are put to the test when they're thrust together after Ace fails his attempt on Whitebeard's life and is forced to remain upon the Moby Dick. MarcoxAce.


There wasn't even a scream to accompany the loud splash. Not anymore, not after so many days. No one on the deck of the Moby Dick flinched at the sound, but one man in particular let out a sigh. He shot his friend a warning look before he even saw the smirk, already knowing it would be in place upon his brother's lips.

"Why do you find this so funny?" Thatch asked, already pulling his shirt off and perching on the rail of the ship.

The older blond man simply continued to smirk. "Just go get him, yoi."

Thatch hit the water with a splash and disappeared from view. Several of the Whitebeard pirates milling about on deck glanced over the side because even though it happened daily, it was still entertainment. Of some sort.

The brunette resurfaced, the body of an ebony haired young man flung over his shoulder as he climbed his way back onto the ship. The teen was dropped to the deck, mainly because with the threat of water behind him he'd begun to squirm incessantly and holding onto him had become far more of a chore than Thatch was willing to deal with.

Portgas D. Ace, previously the captain of the Spade Pirates. He'd been aboard the Moby Dick for a week now not of his own free will, using everything in his power to attempt to murder the captain of the vessel. Even with his all consuming power of flames, he'd been completely and utterly unsuccessful.

So ridiculously unsuccessful that no one bothered to be wary of him.

Not that they'd been particularly wary to begin with.

So most of them only watched in vague amusement as Ace scrambled to get away from them, quickly ducking to a spot out of the way so he could lick his wounds. Even as he moved to get away though, his eyes remained constantly flickering over to the two commanders who watched him with both amusement and vague interest.

Thatch and Marco. The former of the two had attempted to be his friend not even five minutes after he had awoken in captivity a week ago. That particular attempt would have been funny had Ace not found it completely absurd. How could he expect Ace to want to be friends with one of the people who had dragged him unwilling aboard the last ship in the sea he wanted to be on?

Oh, and he couldn't forget the taunt Thatch had added in about how his crew had been taken too. He'd yet to come in contact with them and, when he wasn't plotting murder or failing at murder, he worried about them. Those nakama of his… were they being kept in the same manner as him? Free to walk about one of the many ships under the Yonko's command? Or were they hidden someplace out of sight, to be dealt with when the crew realized the fireball could not be swayed?

Dark eyes shifted from the brunette to the blond. Marco the Phoenix, though Ace had never seen anything even remotely phoenix-like from him. All he'd seen was the man standing to the side, watching everything and everyone to make sure things were running smoothly. Or, as he was now, watching with amusement that glinted in his cerulean blue eyes at the young man who looked very much like a wet cat.

Ace slumped into an out-of-the way corner, grumbled curses under his breath as his mind raced to come up with a new method of assassination. A week was far too little time to exhaust the near infinite amount of ideas he had, so the task wasn't entirely too difficult. He just needed to pick the most likely to succeed and move on from there.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of the sort of light on your feet footsteps that signified some sort of skilled and dexterous fighter. Hardly surprised to discover the source was the first division commander, Ace quickly set about to ignoring him, the task proving much more daunting than he expected the second the guy opened his mouth.

"When are you just going to give this up, yoi?" Marco questioned, standing before the young 'captive' and crossing his arms across his broad chest. "You're no match for Pops even when he's sleeping. What makes you think you can kill him?"

_'Luck,'_ Ace thought bitterly, not daring to voice that particular idea. He was fully aware this guy was 'the strongest man in the world', but everyone had off days. Even the supposedly unkillable could be caught off-guard, and all it took was for it to happen once for Ace to win and this whole crazy venture to be over. Well, mostly over. He would still need to get his crew and flee.

Out loud, he said, "You shouldn't underestimate people." Refusing to shackle or even keep guard over him - these people were arrogant to no end.

Before he could even blink he was hoisted to his feet and bowed back against the rail, his entire upper half dangling over the side. Widened eyes flew to Marco instantly, his hands clawing to get a grip on the rail but unable to from his position.

"We're not underestimating you. You're underestimating us," the commander said evenly, loosening his grip on Ace's upper arms and causing a small heart attack that sent both the young man's hands to grasp Marco's wrists. "We're not new to the ocean, yoi. We've been sailing longer than you've been alive."

Despite his precarious situation, Ace scowled at the blond. It bothered him how he hadn't even seen the guy about to move before he was being dangled over the side of the ship. "Shut up," was his brilliant response.

Sighing as clearly his point hadn't gotten across -or rather it had but was poorly received- Marco took a step back and allowed Ace's feet to touch the ground again. "You're still just a kid, yoi. You'll never be able to take Pops down."

"I'm a pirate, not a kid," Ace snapped in annoyance. He was incredibly aware of how despite being on the ground, Marco's warm hands were still on his skin. He was quick to yank himself away and stalk across the deck, intending to go hole himself back up in the room he'd claimed as his own. He wouldn't be getting any peace if Marco was anywhere near him.

* * *

It was rather unceremoniously that Ace was tossed to the deck, his elbow hitting the wood painfully and sending a spike of pain shooting through his arm. He growled as he pushed himself up, only to be flipped over and pinned to the deck, a weight pressing on his stomach. "Get off me, you stupid pineapple!"

Marco did not in fact get off of him, instead using his leverage from how he was straddling the younger man to press him farther into the wood. "Pops needs his sleep, yoi. I think you can go one night without disturbing him."

"I'm going to kill him, what does he need sleep for?!"

The grip on his wrists tightened, a frown tugging at the commander's lips. "Give it up, kid. Why don't you take watch with me instead?"

Anger flared in Ace, flames igniting beneath tanned palms in warning. But instead of burning, startling, or making Marco generally wary as he'd intended, he was shocked to find flames the color of the clear sky meeting his dangerous ones. So mesmerized by this sight was he that his attention and anger slipped from Marco so he could give this new development all of his entranced attention.

How could someone else control fire so easily? There was only one of each logia type and Ace had definitely consumed the Mera Mera no Mi, while everyone knew Marco could transform into a bird of legend. He didn't even realize when that restraining grip released and he was allowed to sit up, so busy was he taking one of the phoenix's hands in his own and watching the dancing blue flames.

Orange came out to mingle with it, the two contrasting fires swirling and flickering together in the darkness. Even as Ace touched it, he could feel that it wasn't what it looked like. It was warm, like a summer's breeze and didn't feel like it could burn someone even if it wanted to. And yet it still drew in his burning flames, almost as if the blue had a mind of its own.

Only when Ace went to glance at the man behind the flames did he realize just how he was sitting. From how Marco had been hovering over him, he'd only moved back a little to let Ace up, instead sitting on his haunches above the young man's legs. The effect was that Ace was practically face-to-face with him, only a few inches away.

And Marco was staring right at him, attention not diverted in the least.

Ace scrambled backwards instantly, eyes widening and heat rising to his face. Weakness was something he'd been refusing to show to anyone, not wanting his enemies to see him at anything less than murderous and vengeful. Such an unexpected display had torn down every wall he had and left his childish wonder out, allowing himself to be drawn into the other man.

For his part Marco didn't flinch, his expression unchanging. "Relax, it's alright to let your anger go every once in a while, yoi." He stood and, knowing Ace wouldn't accept any form of help and doing it anyway, held his hand out to help him up.

Ace glared at the hand and stayed firmly planted where he was. "Just leave me alone, will you?" He snapped, his gaze quickly falling to the floor instead.

All he received was a small chuckle. Marco reached down and seized one of Ace's hands anyway, pulling him to his feet and over to the crow's nest. "Come on," he said, gesturing with his head upwards. "You're going to help me with watch."

The young man's disbelieving look from being hauled up flipped right back into a scowl. "Why would I want to help _you_?"

Already climbing up the mast, Marco sent the unruly teen a smirk. "If you're good, I might just show you more of that fire, yoi."

Completely flustered and not wanting to admit to wanting that, nothing happened for several moments. Ace could see Marco haul himself over the side of the crow's nest and, for the most part, disappear from view. Did he really think that Ace would do what he wanted just because of a little blue fire? What did he take him for, anyway?

Not even five minutes later Ace was seated beside Marco, looking none too pleased but having climbed up on his own. He was staring stubbornly at the night sky ahead of them, much to the amusement of the commander. "You're not a prisoner here, you know. No matter how much you think you are."

Ace snorted, not believing a word of it. They'd forcibly dragged him aboard a ship he didn't want to be on. Whatever they decided to call it, he was a prisoner.

"You're the only one who thinks it, yoi. Why don't you just accept that you're our brother?"

Scowl tugging at his lips, Ace sent Marco a dirty look. "I'm not your brother. I only have one brother and I only want one brother." He didn't need whatever weirdness was going on aboard the Yonko's ship.

Sensing an in that might help the younger relax, Marco took it and ran with it. "You have a brother? What's he like?"

At first he thought Ace wasn't going to answer and, to be fair, Ace thought he wouldn't either. "His name's Luffy," the young man said quietly, not entirely sure why he was saying anything at all. But still he spoke, unable to help talking about the boy he so loved. "He's wanted to be Pirate King since he was seven."

Marco's brows rose straight up his forehead. "He sounds ambitious."

A soft smile came to Ace's lips, surprising Marco for the third time in a matter of seconds. "I know it sounds crazy, but he's just crazy enough to actually do it. He's got this weird thing about him that just draws people to him, even if they want to kill him."

The commander didn't even ask how Ace knew that. "You sound like you love him quite a bit, yoi." It was almost… odd seeing the usually hateful man talking so caringly about something. Perhaps it wouldn't be as hard as he anticipated to get Ace to open up.

Ace's eyes instantly became guarded again at the observation and he shrugged stiffly. "He's my little brother, of course I love him." How had Marco opened him up so easily? Mentally he cursed himself for the momentary weakness. Thoroughly annoyed at himself, he abruptly stood and launched himself over the side of the crow's nest.

Nope. No promise of blue fire was going to keep him up there long enough to deal with the first division commander. Even as he jumped away, he could see the look on Marco's face that said he wasn't surprised, angry dark orbs locking with breathtakingly calm blue for a split second before he was out of sight, landing on the deck below with a thud.

As he once more holed himself up in his small claimed room, he tried his best to get those eyes out of his mind and his next plot in, but he just couldn't. No matter how hard he tried to stomp those thoughts away they refused to stay gone, popping up again almost instantly. Angrily, he punched his pillow and flopped angrily into bed.

He fell asleep thinking of blue.

* * *

It wasn't often that Ace left his room during the day. His muscles were tense as he moved through the empty halls, ready to spring him into action at the first sign of another living soul. Sure, it looked like no one wanted to harm him or anything, but at the most generous viewpoint Ace was skeptical. He'd spent weeks trying to murder their captain. Even if they really wanted him to join them as they said, they were bound to get tired of his stubborn persistence eventually.

When that happened, he was going to have a fighting chance. He wouldn't be caught off-guard by thinking that they wouldn't harm him because they hadn't shown hostility _yet_. So he opted for skulking through the halls as he moved in the middle of the day, his fists clenching and unclenching as he went.

Attacking Whitebeard in the middle of the day had always proved far more pointless than doing so at night, but he hadn't tried it for a while and perhaps he'd get lucky enough for the man to not be expecting it. That's what he told himself, anyway. It didn't seem to matter what kind of an attacking pattern Ace adopted, Whitebeard always seemed to know when he was coming.

And not even ten minutes later, Ace found himself grabbing at the rail as he was tossed towards it, just barely managing to not go splashing into the water. Expecting to hear plenty of laughing or amused comments, Ace was surprised to find that no such thing reached his ears. Looking up as he got to his feet, he quickly found the source of the unnatural response.

Marco.

The commander was standing a few feet in front of him, watching him with that's same calm expression he always seemed to have on his face. Everyone else on deck was going about their usual business, giving the two a wide berth. So that was it. Marco was making them ignore the attempt for reasons unknown.

Well, that wasn't going to make Ace talk to him or let his guard down like he had a few nights ago. Not bothering to look at him longer than it took to digest the situation, the young man strode past him with clenched fists, fully intending to go right back to his room and try again later.

No surprise went through him when his arm was grabbed, halting his steps far more effectively than any words ever could. A fairly violent jerk of his arm proved useless, Marco's firm grip not relenting in the least. "Let go of me," Ace hissed angrily, glaring over at the blond.

"No." It was so simple and dismissive that Ace's glare turned disbelieving. "You haven't been eating the food I bring you, yoi. So it's time for you to eat something." And without waiting for any kind of response, positive or negative, he began to drag Ace away towards the kitchen.

Flames licked at the hand holding him angrily as Ace was pulled, unable to do anything other than try to burn or punch him. Without even getting a look from the older man blue flames reacted, pulling from the skin of Marco's palm in much the same way as Ace's. It met the orange soothingly, trying to calm the raging fire.

With Ace's attention successfully diverted from the situation, Marco found yanking him into the kitchen and forcing him into a chair ridiculously easy. No one looked at them as they passed, the sight far too common. If it wasn't everyday that Marco somehow managed to wrangle Ace into his company, it was every other day. It always started and ended the same: beginning with Ace angrily trying to get away from Marco and Marco calmly forcing him into submission, and ending with Ace storming off below deck to hide for the rest of the day.

A plate clattered to the table in front of Ace. "Eat." The command only served to irritate Ace further and he crossed his arms stubbornly over his chest. Marco sighed and sat across from him, resting his chin on entwined fingers. "How are you going to hope to kill Pops if you don't eat, yoi?"

Grudgingly, Ace picked up his fork and began to eat. Of course he was right. If Ace couldn't do it when he was perfectly healthy, what chance did he have when he was starving himself? "Why do you even care?" he demanded, pointing his fork at the other man after he'd taken a bite.

"While you're on this ship, you're one of us," Marco remarked calmly, completely ignoring the spluttering denial Ace tossed at him. "And if you're one of us, it's my job to make sure you don't die. Got it?"

Ace looked very much like he got it but didn't like it.

"Good. Now eat, yoi."

With an overemphasized display, Ace shoveled the food into his mouth. A roll of Marco's eyes was all he got in response, the blond leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed to watch. "Why can't you just leave me the hell alone?"

"Why can't you just accept that you might actually like it here?" Marco rebutted almost instantly, his sharp eyes picking up on the momentary freeze of the raven head's muscles. "You like it. You like the ship and the people here, and you don't want to leave."

"Shut up," Ace snapped, feeling like he hadn't quite filled his 'shut up' quota for the day. "You people practically kidnapped me. Why the hell would I want to stay here? I don't like any of you, and I don't like your stupid whale ship."

"You like me."

Once more Ace froze, this time unable to move for almost a full minute. When he did, his fork clattered to his plate and he shoved his way away from the table with much more force than was necessary. "No I don't."

"Yes you do," Marco told him simply. "You like having me around, even if you won't admit it, yoi." He'd noticed it, the subtle way Ace would calm down around him. Perhaps the young man wasn't even aware of it himself, but it was there and there was no denying it. For his observation, he was treated to a nice view of Ace's back as he stomped his way out the door.

No, he didn't like Marco. The thought was absolutely stupid. People stared now as he passed, colorful strings of words coming out under his breath. Why would that stupid pineapple think he liked him? He hated him. He hated everyone on this ship.

Didn't he?

* * *

The fight had all but left Ace. It'd been several days since he'd last tried to get rid of Whitebeard, several days of sitting on the mast, the figurehead, or curled up with his face in his knees against one of the rails. When had he become so used to this ship, he wondered vaguely. And not only that, but something had been bothering him with increasing intensity every time he sat atop the deck, and yet he refused to voice his problem.

He didn't want their help and he didn't want their explanations. But how was he supposed to deal with this increasing nagging in his chest? This nagging that was drawing him to this crew he didn't understand, the man he wanted to kill, and, most importantly, Marco? Unfortunately, the only one he'd decided was alright to speak with had been gone since the feeling had started, conveniently absent from the Moby Dick.

Ace absolutely refused to believe he missed the phoenix. No. The only reason he wanted the man to come back from whatever he was doing and wherever he had gone was because Ace had a question he was burning to ask him. It had absolutely nothing to do with how he missed having Marco beside him, talking to him as if they were friends even though they weren't.

A bowl clattered to the ground in front of him.

At first he didn't react. Thatch had been bringing him meals every day since Marco had disappeared, so the occurrence wasn't uncommon. When the sound of Thatch trying to talk to him didn't meet his ears and there was only silence, confusion swept through him. His head lifted slightly as the footsteps began again, this time heading away from him.

First his gaze landed on the soup, shifting over to see Marco walked away from him. His breath hitched in his throat at the sight of him. When had he returned? Was it a while ago and Ace just now noticed? He didn't even stop to think about how Marco didn't seem to want to talk as he usually did, the question just pulling free of its own accord. "You guys…"

Marco stopped and turned to look at him.

"Why do you call him Pops?"

A smile graced Marco's lips as he turned to fully face Ace. "Because he calls us his sons." Ace's head lifted at the simple explanation, looking at the commander with disbelief. Was it really so easy? "To the rest of the world we're all just outcasts. It's just a word, but it makes us happy!" Marco's eyes closed as he gave Ace a truly happy smile.

Instead of smiling back, Ace's teeth clenched and he dropped his head to look into his lap. The idea of having a father had never appealed to him, the only one he had ever known being the most hated man in his life. Being happy about having a father who loved him… about no longer being an outcast… had never even occurred to him as a possibility.

Smiling knowingly, Marco moved to crouch before the younger man. "Hey, how long are you gonna keep risking your life like this, yoi? Make up your mind already! You can't possibly take Pops' head the way you are now."

Ace didn't react, his head buried in his arms and knees.

"Are you going to get off this ship and start over… or are you going to stay here and accept Whitebeard's mark?"

* * *

Marco was pleased as he leaned against the rail with his arms crossed, eyes raking over the form of the man across the deck. Ace was standing with his back to him, listening to something Thatch was saying and -though he looked incredibly skittish- laughing a happy laugh. Off to the side was Izo, who smiled at the young man with a knowing and pleased look.

The same thing was echoing inside all the commander's heads: Finally. Finally Ace had given up his crazy obsession with trying to kill Whitebeard and had taken his mark. Unlike every other time Marco had seen the young man, his torso was completely bare, showing off his nicely toned body and more importantly, the large purple and white Jolly Roger that took up the majority of his back.

Finally that burning flame was within Marco's reach.

The commander quickly shook the thought from his head. No, Ace was not within his reach. He wasn't going to even try because there were just so many problems with that. It didn't matter how drawn to the young man and his fire that Marco was, it was just a bad idea in general. Unfortunately, this knowledge didn't really do much to quell the feelings that had been steadily growing ever since the two had begun to interact.

There was no way he could help being drawn to the young man. The phoenix was always drawn to the flame, loving its heat and desiring its eternal company. Ace was fire itself, a kind of fire he had never known, and it was tugging everything in Marco to him. And as much as he'd just love to blame it entirely on that, he knew he couldn't. There was just something about the unruly young man that made Marco want to have him.

Marco absolutely refused to believe he'd fallen in love.

How many years had Marco purposefully avoided a situation like this? Far more than he'd like to admit. The phoenix would never truly die, not without a great deal of effort. Forming attachments like the one he desired with Ace was a horrible idea, because it would just leave him broken in the end and there would be absolutely nothing he'd be able to do to stop it.

A round of boisterous laughing drew him from his thoughts and he looked to see the three laughing at some unknown joke. Thatch was miming something as the other two watched, clearly trying to make Ace feel more like he was part of the family. Because even though Ace had taken the mark and joined the crew, it was obvious to everyone that he still felt isolated. No one on the crew wanted their new brother to be alone.

Marco's eyes looked past the mark that he so loved to see inked on Ace's skin, looking over the body that would never need to be covered because of his powers, and would probably rarely want be covered in the future because of his pride. All he could think was how lucky he was that his self-control was so fantastic.

Years upon years of practice were being put to the test.

* * *

There was only so much could take of this. It'd been bothering him for a while, even before he'd actually joined the Whitebeard Pirates for all that time following the night he'd partially spent doing watch on deck, if it could even be called that. Marco the Phoenix. Yes, he'd seen some remarkable blue fire that drew him in far more than it probably should have, but yet he'd never actually seen the legendary bird.

And why the hell not? Because _someone_ thought it would be funny to keep the most interesting thing Ace had come across a secret. Apparently his intense curiosity and frustration were a good source of amusement to both Marco and the rest of the damn ship. He didn't see why, Ace thought with a scowl from where he sat atop the crow's nest.

On the upside, all the constant attempts to startle or force the first division commander into his bird form were a great excuse to be close to him. It wasn't just the mesmerizing flames that drew him to Marco, oh no. He didn't know what it was about the man, but he just wanted to be around him. He wanted to force that smirk or happy smile to his face whenever he could.

Unfortunately, the happy smile was incredibly rare. It only happened every once in a blue moon, but when it did it just made Ace happy by proximity. How could you not be happy seeing Marco smile like that? It was probably the most breathtaking sight he'd ever seen.

"If you're going to just stare at him all day, you should just go tell him."

Ace turned at the amused voice, his dark hues landing on the familiar kimono wearing commander. "Tell him what?" he rebutted innocently, blatantly ignoring what they both know was true. "That I want to see his devil fruit? He already knows that. That's why he refuses to show me."

A flick to the forehead was all he received in response. He grumbled and rubbed the spot lightly as Izo placed himself into the crow's nest beside him, heaving himself over the side and sitting delicately on the wooden floor. "No, I mean how you want him."

Spluttering and face turning red, Ace turned his eyes away from where he peered over the rim of the nest to sit next to his friend properly -and hide his burning face from those on the deck below. "I don't want him."

A smirk graced those painted lips. "Of course you do. About the only person on the ship who doesn't see it is Marco." Izo's smirk widened as the red darkened, Ace gaping like a fish. "Oh please. Did you really think you were being subtle?"

"I-I wasn't giving it much thought…" Ace admitted, thoroughly embarrassed. Did everyone really know how much he liked Marco?

"Yeah, I noticed." Izo very nearly laughed. Of course impulsive little Ace hadn't given it any thought. On the opposite side of the coin, it looked like Marco had given it way too much thought. So much thought, in fact, that Izo knew he intended to just ignore his desire for companionship. Which was also laughable, considering her saw the subtle way the very tips of Marco's hair flared blue in jealousy whenever Ace gave a happy smile to anyone else, yet refused to get too close to the boy himself.

These two just really needed to fuck and get together already. Marco needed someone beside him and Ace very obviously wanted to be that someone. It was the perfect situation that neither party involved noticed, and thus were unlikely to ever act upon. And as usual with Marco's stubborn reluctance, Izo was left off to the side to shake his head in annoyance.

A single manicured nail jabbed into Ace's chest. "You need to man up," he complained. "But since you won't, I've decided to help you."

Oh no. That never boded well. "I'm good."

"Nope, I've already decided and that's final," the cross dresser declared importantly. "Now it's really simple and you barely have to do anything, alright? And lucky for you, I planned ahead so it's already set in motion."

Ace really didn't want to know what was set in motion and yet he was curious, wondering if this plan would actually work. "What do you want me to do?" he asked warily, knowing there was nothing to do but what Izo wanted. Even if he fought against it, he would end up doing whatever it was anyway. That was just how arguments with the man went.

"Oh, it's simple really. You just have to hide your pretty little self out of sight on deck…" He looked up at the sky. "For about an hour. And then when Marco shows up, you just walk out onto the deck and do whatever comes to mind. Got it?"

Now that just sounded wholly suspicious. 'Do whatever came to mind'? What the hell did that mean? If he was expecting Ace to just jump Marco, he was going to be disappointed. Still, Ace nodded. "Fine. But when this doesn't work, no more weird plans, alright?"

Feeling very silly, Ace found a place where he could easily duck out of sight and wait. Once Izo was satisfied about the placement, he went right back up to the deck and went about his own business as if he hadn't just stuffed Ace into a corner.

More than a little exasperated Ace was left to just wait it out. And true to Izo's word it wasn't even an hour before Marco reappeared on the deck, but not in the way Ace had anticipated. His eyes were wide with surprise, the breath leaving his lungs within seconds. Swooping down to perch on the rail was the most amazing bird he'd ever seen.

It was larger than a human but only just barely, it's entire body a beautiful light blue that was more than a little familiar. Trailing off of the feathers were those flames that so entranced Ace, making a trail of fire through the sky as it gracefully arced downwards. And there, emblazoned on its chest, was the mark of Whitebeard. Exactly where Marco's would be had it been human.

Without even thinking about what he was supposed to do, Ace rose from his spot and walked across the deck. As if from far away he could hear Izo shooing people from the deck, forcing them below deck and, with one last glance at his two friends, Izo shut the door behind the pirates, leaving Ace very much alone with the phoenix.

Finally. Finally, he was seeing that side of Marco that he so longed to see and that was so meanly kept from him. Ace couldn't even bring himself to be upset about the long wait, though, his eyes glued to the large bird in front of him. Yeah, this had been worth that discomforted hiding he'd done. This was so very, very worth it.

The bird watched Ace warily as he approached, its beak clicking in question when the man of fire gave no indication of his intention. If Ace had been entranced by Marco before, it was absolutely nothing compared to now. His fingers went up to gently run along flaming feathers, orange leaping from his fingertips as they moved. An approving trill left the phoenix and it hopped from the rail, landing right before Ace. The fire wielder hung back, unsure of if he should move on his instincts or not.

Marco made the choice for him, bowing his body to the deck in a sign for Ace to climb on his back, his blue eyes watching the younger man stepped forward hesitantly. A swipe of a powerful wing brought Ace forward, tripping and falling onto the back of the phoenix. Emboldened by the silent command Ace climbed on his back, wrapping his arms around a feathery neck as Marco pushed from the ship and brought them up into the sky.

Ace's face pushed into the wind as they soared, the rhythmic beating of Marco's wing the only thing he could hear. On the contrary, the only thing Marco could hear was Ace's delighted laughs, a sound much sweeter than any music he'd ever heard. The sound was so foreign and yet so natural. All the interactions he'd watched, all the joy he'd heard from Ace… nothing quite matched this.

The warmth of Ace's arms around his neck was a welcomed change from how he usually flew alone, and he knew that no time he flew by himself after this would ever be as freeing as it had been before. Now there was him and Ace, the phoenix and his flame.

Until they landed and he was forced to let go.

* * *

Darkness had long since overtaken the sky as Marco made his way onto the deck. But that was to be expected, waking up for the second watch of the night. All on the ship save for the first watch were asleep, snug in their beds, but Marco didn't mind. Being out at night had always been sort of calming to him, sitting under the stars.

Cerulean blue orbs were drawn to the front of the ship, where an orange light danced among the blackness in swirling patterns. Curious, Marco made his way to the figurehead and was greeted by the sight of Ace. It wasn't his night for watch, so why was he still awake?

Said man was flat on his back atop the whale figurehead, finger trailing through the sky above him lazily. A path of stunning orange flames followed in the wake of digit but Ace hardly looked amused, his face pulled down in look that told the first commander that he was clearly troubled. Ebony hair splayed around him like fan, framing his freckled fair and only managing to add shadows that worried Marco.

"Ace?" The younger man startled straight up into a sitting position, his eyes going wide and instantly finding his friend. Marco's brows furrowed. Had Ace ever gotten that spaced out, in the entire time he'd been aboard the ship? The look was so very different from the one he'd seen that afternoon when they'd landed from their flight. "Why are you still up, yoi?"

"I couldn't sleep." Ace settled down -still tense, Marco noted- so he was leaning back on his hands comfortably. He looked like he was about to speak again but stopped, his face dropping back into its troubled counterpart.

Sensing something that wouldn't be handled easily or quickly, Marco joined the young man out on the figurehead and sat beside him. "What's wrong? Is something troubling you, yoi?" The question didn't need to be asked. Something was clearly wrong, and he was curious if Ace would actually answer him.

It'd only been about a little while since the fire wielder had officially joined them of his own free will and he'd already been offered the post of second division commander. But far from joy most people had expected, the man had only shown a sort of hesitance and worry. It'd come to Marco's attention that Ace had been asking around about opinions, and the other night he'd even gone to Pops' room at night. The phoenix was interested, he had to admit.

Quiet overtook them for a long while as Ace very obviously decided whether or not to speak. Not minding the wait, Marco merely looked out at the darkened waves and enjoyed the sounds as they lapped against the side of the ship. The peace of the night was surely what Ace had come out here for and Marco was almost sorry to have ruined it.

Almost.

If something was wrong with one of his brothers, however, he wanted to know what it was. Especially this one, who just looked so completely wrong without his usual grins and smirks. So instead of wishing he hadn't disturbed Ace's sought after peace, Marco contemplated on how to push Ace into telling him should the stubborn man refused.

It looked as if he needn't have bothered, though, as Ace glanced over at him and sighed. "I don't know if I should be the second division commander," he admitted, stopping short of saying what was really on his mind.

"Pops thinks you should be and no one disagrees with him," came the simple reply, blue eyes glancing from the waves to look at the dark haired youth. "But this feels like it's not about other people." No, this had to do with Ace specifically.

Worry shot through the phoenix as Ace pulled his legs up so he could rest his chin on his knees, looking fixedly down at the white wood beneath him. "I didn't tell anyone because I was afraid of what you'd all do if you found out," he said quietly.

"Is this what you talked to Pops about, yoi?"

Ace nodded, still not looking at the other man. "I…" he trailed off, another sigh escaping him. "The reason why I was trying to kill Pops was because I thought if I did it, I would be proving that I wasn't like my father. That I was stronger than him because he never could."

Alright, well that seemed like a reasonable thing. Plenty of people had tried the same thing for related reasons in the past. "But that's not all, is it?"

Ace's eyes drifted up to stare at the glinting stars marring the sky above them. "I've been told I shouldn't have been born by people who didn't even know who I was, for no other reason that because they hated my father." A frown tugged at his lips, the true reason just on the tip of his tongue. "Because they hated Gol D. Roger."

Silence.

Marco merely continued to look at him, his passive expression not changing in the least. So that was it. Roger _had_ left behind a son, and now the boy was sitting right in front of him bearing the weight of a hated father he'd never known. Vaguely, he wondered how Whitebeard had reacted to the news. Had he already known and not told anyone? It was incredibly possible.

"So that's it." Smiling lightly, he dropped a hand to the other man's head and ruffled raven hair. "I don't see how that would stop you from being a commander, yoi," he said, a small laugh trailing off of his words.

Now that got Ace to finally look over at him, disbelief painting his features beautifully. If the situation hadn't been so important to Ace, Marco probably would have laughed. "How can you just not care? Roger was one of your enemies."

Marco rolled his eyes, retracting his hand to place it in his lap. "Sure, we weren't always on the best terms with Roger. But that has nothing to do with you at all, yoi. You're not him, even if you are related. I doubt you even met him. So how can I blame you for what's he's done?"

A noise of frustration escaped the young man's lips as he attempted to formulate his thoughts into words. How could he possibly explain that practically everyone else that had ever spoken to him on the subject _did_ hold him responsible? "It's not like it'd be unusual."

In a graceful flurry of movement Marco spun so he was sitting opposite Ace and took hold of the boy's hands, using how he'd startled him to tip him forward. Ace's knees hit the ground as he was pulled from his protective cocoon and suddenly found himself pressed against the warmth that was the phoenix. "This doesn't make any difference. Whoever's kid you may be, you are you. Nothing changes that," Marco said firmly, his warm breath tickling Ace's ear. "You're one of us and that's all that's important, yoi."

For a long moment Marco felt not a stir of Ace's muscles or a sound from his lips, the would-be commander simply hanging there in his arms. Then he felt the change. Ace's arms lifted as he moved to hold onto Marco tightly, fingers clenching in the cloth of his purple shirt. "…Marco…" The feel of Ace burying his face in Marco's neck came to his attention and he gave a soft smile.

Seeing Ace so vulnerable like this was something special indeed. He was sure none of the other commanders had ever seen it and Pops had likely only seen it a few times. And yet here Ace was, opening up to him yet again. He shifted so they were in a less awkward embrace, practically pulling Ace into his lap as he held him.

Marco wasn't entirely sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing that Ace just allowed him to do it, curling into his body once he was settled. On the one hand, he was glad that Ace was continuing to show him that side of him that Marco was so privileged to see. On the other hand…

Well, that self-control that he'd been struggling with for a while was starting to become relevant. For so long he'd been making sure to stay at a certain distance, keeping Ace at arm's length. But now he was pressed against Marco in a pliant sort of way. Luckily for the commander, the situation was enough to keep him in the right mindset.

He wasn't entirely sure how long they sat there like that, Ace unmoving in Marco's arms and just soaking in the natural warmth the phoenix was providing. Marco's eyes went down to look at that freckled face, taking a moment to just examine the boy. During the days this wasn't an easy task since he spent the vast majority of his time keeping himself in check and openly staring definitely went against that, but now with the other man sleeping it was shockingly easy.

After his eyes had ample time to memorize those features, Marco carefully slid one arm under Ace's legs and the other behind his back. The trek across the deck and down the hall to Ace's room -the second division commander's room, despite the man's hesitance, had been given to him- was quick, and he easily deposited the raven head into his bed and under the covers.

Marco was stopped as he turned to leave by a hand clamping around his wrist.

He found Ace's surprisingly clear eyes peering out at him through the darkness as he lay in bed. It didn't look like he knew what to say but his grip didn't loosen in the least. Slowly, Ace dropped his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. For a moment he did nothing other than that, watching Marco in the moonlight filtering in through the porthole. And then carefully, he leaned up and pressed his lips to Marco's. It was a light, hesitant touch. One that said he would flee at the first sign of bad reception.

That was when Marco's carefully constructed self-control all but fled and his hands went to Ace's hips, drawing him closer as he deepened the kiss. The hand on his wrist disappeared as Ace wrapped his arms around Marco's neck. Nipping first at Ace's bottom lip and becoming rather surprised when the man automatically opened for him, he slipped his tongue inside to map out the wet cavern he'd been dying to taste.

Ace's back hit the bed and in seconds Marco was hovering over him, trailing teasing kisses along his jaw and down to his neck. His hands ran down hard muscle, needing to feel all that was Ace beneath his fingertips. A moan left Ace's lips as Marco bit down roughly, swiping his tongue over the spot to soothe the damage. He repeated this more than a few times as he traveled his way down Ace's well defined chest, wanting to mark very clearly the fiery boy as his.

Even if he was only his for one night.

Ace's hands slid from where they rested around the blond's shoulders to his shirt, temporarily pausing the burning path of kissed so he could push the offending material from Marco's shoulders and dropped it to a heap on the floor. Marco smirked up at Ace as he dipped back down to the hem of black shorts, meeting those dark eyes, unbuttoning his pants, and pulling the zipper down slowly with his teeth. Those and equally black boxers joined Marco's shirt, discarded on the floor.

A hand flew to his grasp his hair as his tongue trailed up the inside of Ace's thigh and right up the underside of the man's length at agonizingly slow pace. The moan that met his ears was muffled and quickly moved to rectify that, one of his hands snapping up to grab Ace's and removing it from his mouth. "I want to hear you," he growled in warning right before he took Ace into his mouth and sucked roughly. He was pleased to find the delicious sounds pouring from the young man's mouth were no longer hindered, and Ace was quick to supply fuel to Marco's desire.

Ace's hips bucked once as he tried to get more of the feel of that hot cavern, the action quickly denied as Marco pinned his hips down. A whine escaped his parted lips and was met with an answering chuckle from Marco, making Ace gasp from the sensation. His hand clawed at the nightstand until he could get it open, wrapping his fingers around a small bottle and dropping it to the bed before he was forced to clutch at the sheets, his back arching beautifully as Marco swallowed around him.

Recognizing the bottle and quickly uncapping it, Marco poured some of the oily liquid on his fingers, the digits sliding around under Ace to prod at his entrance. The younger man didn't get to acknowledge the intrusion before a second was added in, his senses overwhelmed by the attention being paid to his cock. Questing fingers sought out the spot that would make Ace writhe in pleasure, a feeling of triumph coming over him when the hand in his hair tightened and shuddering moan escaped Ace's throat.

The hand in his hair tugged, commanding Marco up Ace's body so he could kiss him with a fierce sort of passion Marco was quick to match. Tongues danced together as Marco supplied that spot with quick, forceful jabs. The kiss only breaking so Marco could move down to nip and suck at Ace's neck, a third finger sliding in to help stretch his lover for what was to come.

Feeling the need for something much more substantial than fingers, Ace rolled them over and grabbed the bottle. He grinned at Marco as he ran lube covered fingers along the searing flesh between the blond's thighs, the groan he received only serving to increase his need. Dark grey orbs meeting blue, Ace lowered himself onto Marco's length slowly.

Both groaned at the feeling, Marco's hands lifting to rest on Ace's hips so he could pull him down as his own hips thrust up, seating himself fully inside the raven haired man. Marco waited as the younger quivered, the task made difficult by the incredibly tight walls gripping him, until Ace nodded. There was no resistance as Marco flipped them, pulling almost entirely out before slamming back in roughly.

With all the delicious noises his lover supplied for him as he pounded inside that tight heat, there was one thing he still craved to hear. That thought in mind, he angled his thrusts a little different each time, seeking his prize with a possessive determination.

Marco knew he found it when Ace's head fell back against the sheets, a cry of _"Marco!"_ leaving his lips. A feral grin took hold of Marco. There. With each new thrust he aimed to hit that one spot, his hand snaking down Ace's toned stomach to take hold of the aching length between them. Stroking in time with his thrusts, Ace was turned into a writhing mass of pleasure beneath him, the moans coupled with the sight making the phoenix groan.

Ace's hands wrapped around Marco's shoulders and brought the man down to him, primal need to be close stirring within both of them. The commander's head dropped to rest in the crook of Ace's neck, his tongue lashing out to taste sweat soaked skin. Ace came first, a cry of Marco's name on his lips, grip tightening even more on the blond.

The walls tightening around Marco were too much and in several more thrusts he joined his lover, coating Ace's walls with his seed. "_Ace_," the growl was partially muffled by said man's skin, Marco biting down and earning a last satisfied groan from Ace.

Panting lightly, Marco rolled off of Ace to rest beside him. Through the little moonlight streaming into the room he watched his lover silently, slightly unsure now that it was all over. Not allowing that to take hold, having seen it in Marco's eyes, Ace scooted over and wrapped his arms around him, throwing one leg over his hip so he couldn't go anywhere.

His face was thoroughly buried in the tattooed chest before he mumbled out, "I love you."

That having been the last thing the commander expected, Marco looked down at the messy ebony hair, the only part of Ace's head that he could see. Relief was rapidly becoming the dominant emotion within him, his arms looping around Ace so he could hold the man to him tightly.

"I love you too."


End file.
